That's firstly a US list (although Walmart owns ASDA) but UK suppliers aren't immune and we need to be aware that Fair Trade, let alone organic, suppliers need to be sought out. But don't despair, there are many Fair Trade suppliers now so it's worth browsing around -

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Interesting Brasscheck replay of a few (US) news reports - saying actual analyses of cases shows extremely few of those cases thought to be swine flu by doctors, actually were.

In other words Obama's declaration of a national emergency was not warranted. Meanwhile, Brown has spent over £500 million (the exact figure not released!) on Baxter's and GSK's vaccine for this "pandemic". The debate about the nature of H1N1 DNA still remains -see Swine Flu Virus Created from Pig Vaccine? - All this, along with Baxter's delivery in March of an incredible 72 kilos of vaccine contaminated with (deadly) live bird flu virus (difficult to catch but 70% fatal!) to labs in Europe for use on people. The entire episode stinks. We've been played by the pharmaceutical industry. - md

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

Welfare Reform Bill -- protection for children under five overturned by MPs

MPs supporting the government tonight brutally overturned the amendment won in the Lords, which protected single parents of children under five from losing benefit for not doing "work-related activity". Single parent families could have their benefit cut by 40%. This is an outrageous attack on single mothers who are looking after children full-time. 236 MPs voted against the government, and some made clear that mothers’ caring work is a vital contribution to society. It should be recognised not penalised.

Please write to the Lords who backed the amendment to urge them to keep this important protection for children, and let them know the strength of feeling in the community on this issue. Personal statements from mothers, fathers and carers are most convincing.

Lord Freud, the Conservative Lord who led on this amendment, will raise it again when the Bill goes back to the Lords on Thursday at 11.30am. We have another chance of defeating the government on their uncaring policy.

Fax number for the Lords: 020 7219 5979 (mark for the attention of the Peer you are writing to.)

(As time is short, please send your letters direct, don’t rely on us to forward them, but do send us a copy at womenstrike8m@server101.comFax 020 7209 4761)

Please write to:

Conservatives

· Chris Scott scottcg@parliament.ukConservative Office, House of Lords – has undertaken to pass on emails received by end of Wednesday.

“It’s actually energy conservation – not nuclear power - that’s the top priority for Britain now. If we all use less – by good insulation, high standards in low power goods, the less it will cost us and the less we’ll have to make.

“Now, when it comes to making it, all the major sources have major drawbacks. Nuclear power is not immune. But renewables, especially wind, has a number of plusses which this government is about to ignore, bigtime."

Martin Deane highlights the following problems with the government's nuclear policy:

What about pollution costs? The pollution from nuclear reactors can’t all be dumped on countries we don’t like, as depleted uranium. There are also CO2 costs all along the building of hi-tech nuclear plants

Where is our energy security? Britain is almost wholly dependent on foreign resources for power – oil, gas, coal, uranium.

Nuclear power gets many subsidies and incentives. Where are the incentives for wind power? – Vestas moved to America!

Labour is friends with big business – nuclear is definitely that. - It even has its own armed police force, costing £57 million a year.

The huge hidden costs could mean the destruction of the Kalahari environment and millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions a year (Observer)

The plans are huge, expensive and hi-tech, needing huge areas of uranium mining – when half the usable world’s uranium could already be gone.

And the Tories will do much the same.

“It’s no secret that Labour is friends with big business – and nuclear power is big business. Increasing control and ownership of all this energy production will go to largely foreign businesses. Haven't we seen enough energy price rises? And where’s our input? With present Labour policy it will be lucky if Parliament gets a say, let alone you or me.”

“There are alternatives to nuclear power - and which are non polluting - and which have a very low emissions footprint - and whose technology is relatively simple - and the energy is naturally renewable! Look at what Green councilllors have achieved in Huddersfield: created hundreds of jobs through energy conservation and renewables, saved ordinary people over £5 million on fuel bills, and lowered emissions. Who in Hull wouldn't want that?"

So global oil production is on a plateau since 2005.Soon, like next year, we can expect a decline in global production.The IEA revised it's figures last November - DOUBLING the decline rate.It went from 3.7% per year to 6.7% per year.100 / 6.7 gives 15 years.Ie, all the usable/reachable oil is gone in 15 years. That's 2024.So maybe we should, just possibly, a little bit maybe, value renewables and value public transport.

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Czech leader signs Lisbon Treaty(news.bbc.co.uk) - Boo. We don't support the Lisbon Treaty. Given a referendum Britain would have turned it down completely. It's undemocratic. It's a stitch-up. Once again we are going to have to fight the big banks and corporations and their political representatives - because they are certainly not the people's representatives. - md